Indian MSME Secretary Bharat Khera visits Canada

• By Prabhjot Singh

TORONTO (TIP): As part of their concerted efforts to sign a free trade agreement, India and Canada have now begun exchanging secretary-level visits to work out the modalities to boost business ties. After the prime ministers of India and Canada exchanged visits and several other ministerial delegations met, talks have now moved down to the secretaries’ level.

Earlier this month, Canada’s International Trade Minister, Maninder Sidhu, was in India before he visited some ASEAN countries. Maninder Sidhu is expected to take a strong Canadian delegation to India next month.

Following Maninder Sidhu’s visit, India’s Secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Bharat Khera, was in Toronto last week. He led an Indian delegation that held a series of meetings in the Greater Toronto Area aimed at the exchange of best practices and technical know-how in the domain of online dispute resolution and strengthening cooperation in the MSME sectors of the two nations. Consul General of India in Toronto, Mahaveer Singhvi, accompanied the Indian delegation in various meetings.

The visiting Indian delegation met Michael Schafler, president of the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC), and his team. The discussions focused on sharing best practices in alternative dispute resolution, strengthening legal pathways and grievance redressal mechanisms, and exploring ways to ensure faster and more effective resolution of commercial disputes. Both sides underlined that robust, accessible, and efficient dispute-resolution frameworks are central to improving the ease of doing business, enhancing investor confidence, and supporting the growth and internationalization of MSMEs.

The delegation also called on Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business, Government of Ontario. The meeting explored avenues for deeper India-Ontario cooperation in the small business space, including policy support frameworks, market access, and institutional mechanisms. Both sides agreed that a conducive regulatory environment and strong government-to-government engagement are key to unlocking cross-border opportunities for MSMEs and small businesses in India and Ontario.

At the Legal Innovation Zone, Toronto Metropolitan University, the delegation met Dr Sasha Saunders, Director, and her team. Discussions centered on how legal technology and startup-driven solutions are reshaping access to justice, from digital dispute resolution tools to simplified legal services for small enterprises. It was noted that such innovations hold strong potential to reduce costs and delays for MSMEs, making legal support more affordable, effective, and accessible.

The delegation also visited the IDEA Innovation Unit of the City of Mississauga, where discussions focused on the use of innovation, data, and collaborative approaches to support local entrepreneurs. Both sides exchanged best practices on city-led innovation and entrepreneur support programs and explored opportunities for cooperation in knowledge-sharing, capacity building, and institutional partnerships to strengthen small business ecosystems.

The engagements form part of the Ministry’s continued efforts to learn from global best practices, strengthen institutional linkages, and create an enabling environment for Indian MSMEs to grow, access new markets, and integrate with global value chains.